Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 865: A Portal ()

A secret meeting...

It wasn’t how Neveah had hoped her night would go. Laila stood on the other side of the door, waiting for her response with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Tonight?..." Neveah asked, taken aback.

The arrangement was too sudden. She didn’t even know these people, or rather, she couldn’t remember them.

How could she trust their words? Alessio was a monster, but she knew how to handle him at least.

Everyone else...was simply a stranger. She was just coming to terms with keeping Scott by her side. She wasn’t certain she wanted to complicate things further.

"Yes... tonight." Laila confirmed, still glancing around nervously. She seemed to have just as much doubts about the arrangement as Neveah did, if not more.

"I... don’t think there will be another chance." Laila explained further. "Once the ceremony begins, you will be by Alessio’s side through it all. This might be the only opportunity...to meet."

Neveah pursed her lips. Laila’s words weren’t wrong. As the days went by, it was becoming more difficult to get Alessio to step away from her for even a moment.

He’d made sure Neveah was involved in his entire schedule for the ceremony, so they would be together all the while.

And if he wasn’t there in person, there was always someone else to keep an eye on her. At dawn, it would be the Eclipse Lunas.

She couldn’t get away if she wanted to.

Neveah contemplated it for just a moment. She’d come this far by trusting her instincts, and even at this moment, her instincts nudged her to accept the meeting.

There was so much she still needed to know, and it was clear she would not find out anything more from Alessio or his subordinates.

The other Eclipse Alphas didn’t seem to dare oppose him. Perhaps meeting the only Alpha that was openly against Alessio’s rule was her best bet.

She couldn’t allow herself to consider the danger. If she did, she would never be able to find herself again.

It was a risk, breaking out of the Eclipse Claw pack house and venturing out into a territory she was unfamiliar with. But it was a risk worth taking.

She couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Not if it brought her closer to knowing who she was...who she had been, and who she was supposed to be at this point in her life.

And if there was any likelihood of danger, she still had Scott. She would leave a trail for him to follow, just like he had taught her. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Scott was no match for Alessio, but he had infiltrated the Eclipse Domain all by himself and had managed to evade being noticed or identified for this long. He was definitely a capable support.

Neveah sucked in a sharp breath, stepping aside to let Laila in. She shut the door after Laila stepped through, and then turned to face the nervous woman.

"If...you change into my clothes, you might be able to get past the guards..." Laila trailed off, "I’m really not sure... how I can help you get out easily. The hallways are all tightly guarded. I can try to create a distraction, but..." She exhaled shakily, lifting a hand to rub her chest, in a bid to calm herself.

"Even if I change into your clothes, it will be difficult to go unnoticed." Neveah pointed out. "Our hair colours, heights and scents are different. We won’t get past Lado’s guards."

"Then, what can we do?..." Laila stuttered, "Alpha Dane requested it so earnestly, I couldn’t turn him down. They really want to meet you...but I can’t ask you to put yourself in danger just to meet them."

Laila shook her head slowly, her eyes wide and shining with fear, "If Alessio finds out...or Lado, we’ll be in serious trouble."

"I don’t care much about myself..." She muttered, her voice was barely above a whisper now. "I’m used to Lado’s wrath. But it’s different for you. It won’t be wise to get on Alessio’s bad side right now."

"No. You shouldn’t go to the meeting, Your Grace." Laila quickly shook her head, as though she had only now thought it through.

Neveah didn’t find it hard to believe. Laila was timid. She didn’t think it was by nature either, there was something in Laila’s eyes... something broken, but still very much present.

A certain gleam Neveah recognised all too well. Defiance... what Laila was now, was only what Lado had made her into, to suit his purposes.

Neveah couldn’t imagine it. How it felt, being mated to a man like Lado was...a man worse than a beast.

She knew she didn’t owe Laila anything. But Lado, everything about him aggravated Neveah.

He stirred in her a deep seated desire to harm...a bloodthirst she’d refused to acknowledge for this long. And if only for that reason, she’d decided to go.

She couldn’t cower in fear of Alessio and his subordinates. If everyone was willing to accept such a fate, she just couldn’t make peace with it.

"Where are we to meet?" Neveah asked Laila.

Laila hesitated. "Are you sure? The only way you can get there safely is by evading the guards somehow..."

"But unless you can disappear..." Laila trailed off.

"I intend to." Neveah replied in a serious tone.

Laila shook her head in bafflement. "What?"

"I intend to disappear, I meant." Neveah clarified.

Laila looked even more confused. She blinked in astonishment, dabbing away the sweat beaded on her forehead with the sleeve of her dress.

"Listen Laila," Neveah began, "Whatever you’re about to see, you have to promise me that you won’t ever speak of it again."

Laila nodded slowly, her gaze wary.

Neveah glanced over at the door and then she walked deeper into the room, distancing herself from Laila.

She drew in a sharp breath and then reached within, seeking that familiar surge of energy within her.

It rose to her call, with much more ease than the first two occasions.

At that moment, she heard a hum in the depths of her mind...it sounded like a voice far off in the distance. A mumble, but she couldn’t make out the words.

Neveah paused for a moment and tried to listen to it, but it was still too far away for her to hear it.

Shaking it off, she focused on the task at hand. Drawing on the energy surging within her veins, she blocked out the sounds all around her and let the energy gather in the pit of her stomach, before she directed it to her hands.

The warmth swirled around her fingertips, and a gasp from Laila told Neveah what she needed to know.

Neveah’s eyes opened to a small, swirling portal. It glowed dimly and pulsed with a very strong energy.

She glanced over at Laila. Laila stared at the portal, her face was as pale as a ghost. Her jaws opened in surprise.

"Let’s go." Neveah said to her.

Laila looked over at Neveah uncertainly.

"Come on, trust me." Neveah reassured.

Laila hesitated for just a moment longer before she nodded. Taking a few steps forward, she paused for a moment, and then walked through the portal.

Neveah glanced over at the door, then she also walked through and was immediately swallowed up in a world of golden light.

____________

After what felt like forever, the surge of magic finally passed.

Neveah emerged on the other side of the portal to find Laila doubled over, hurling, her hand propped against a wall.

Neveah raised a brow. Unsettling as the portal had been, she wasn’t really fazed by it.

It felt like she’d done it dozens of times before. Neveah wouldn’t be surprised to hear that she had.

While waiting for Laila to collect herself, Neveah glanced around their surroundings. She hadn’t really kept a location in mind when she had summoned the portal, seeing as she was not really familiar with this territory.

The only thought she’d had in mind was that she needed to evade the tight security in the Eclipse Claw Pack House.

Her surroundings were familiar to her, she noted. It was a dark, deserted alleyway somewhere in the city.

They’d passed by it on their way to the pack house and Neveah could remember it because she’d caught a small scurrying movement through the partly opened window of her carriage.

Neveah had wondered then if it was an animal...or a child. It had looked more like the latter, but she hadn’t gotten a good enough look to be sure of it.

"We’re almost on the other side of the city!" Laila exclaimed from behind Neveah, her tone was amazed.

Neveah guessed Laila had finally gotten over the aftereffect, because she hurried over to Neveah.

"The meeting place isn’t far from here." Laila said, eyes wide. "How did you..."

Neveah cut her off. "Lead the way."

For now and until she had decided what to do about her situation, Neveah would be the only one asking the questions. No one else.

Laila nodded apologetically and then she moved ahead. Neveah lingered behind for a moment, and she only followed when she sensed Scott’s presence in the shadows behind.